China to produce 52% of world lead output in 2012, demand to rise : ILZSG

BEIJING (Scrap Monster): Chinese lead demand will increase by 7.3% this year while its production is expected to reach 2.54 million tonnes, accounting for 52% of world output, said International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) in its current outlook for trends in world supply and demand for lead during 2012.

According to ILZSG, recent Chinese reports indicate that lead-acid battery production is continuing to recover after the closure of many, mainly small, plants in 2011 due to the implementation of stricter environmental regulations.

In 2011, China has shuttered almost 90 percent of lead-acid battery makers in a government crackdown to curb lead poisoning cases, cutting sales and weighing on metal prices.

Local environmental protection bureaus have inspected 1,744 lead-storage battery makers and only 229 are still operating. China is the world’s largest exporter of the batteries used in electric bicycles and hybrid vehicles.

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